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I'm in the camp for whom Al's style is not a preference. And yet I still enthusiastically support renewal. Al's : Italian Beef :: The Beatles : Rock and Roll. Even if you'd rather spend your time listening to other music, you can't deny the Beatles' genius or importance.

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-Dom
www.skilletdoux.com

Tried my first and last ever Italian beef this year, and it happened to be at Al's. A vile pile of mush that tasted and looked like salted vomit.

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food

Blasphemous. Opinions are like assholes though.

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"In pursuit of joys untasted"
from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata

More for the rest of us.

LOL

About a month ago, I stopped for lunch at Al's on Taylor for a big, wet, with hot & sweet. The beef was tender, well-sliced, and generously piled on. It was exactly what I was expecting/craving. Also, staff was friendly & patient to my friend, whose ordering technique was rusty ("I'll have an Italian beef, um...yeah, the large one. Can you dip it in the juice? Also, can I have hot giardeniera? Oh, and the sweet peppers?").

I was definitely a happy customer.

I've always thought that Italian Beef was one of those things that I might enjoy more if I grew up eating it. My reaction is the same whenever I have one: I wish I had a hot dog. I can see what people love about Italian beef. It just doesn't do much for me. It seems like a delivery device for the juice. I grew up eating hot dogs, brats, and burgers as my special treats. It takes every ounce of restraint that I can mustard to drive past a hot dog joint. But I'll keep trying Italian Beef, especially at Al's and at Johnnie's.

Well, the hot dogs here are really upper tier too. And let's not forget both fries & sausage are even better. Giardinara best (as is beef but that's not my point).

Of course it's not perfect as prices quite high, but I never feel like I wasted money.

BTW, on the have to be from Chicago thing: a few years back I took the most evil one, Steve P, here. He loved it.

Also, for the record not only do I disagree with Dom on the beef, but I believe Al's:Rolling Stones

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Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.

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